About the Film

Eisenhower

He went off to war an unknown soldier and returned a beloved national hero. Often dismissed as a "do-nothing" president and a good-natured bumbler, Dwight D. Eisenhower -- the last American president to be born in the 19th century -- was actually a skillful politician, a tough Cold War warrior, and one of America's most misunderstood and unappreciated presidents.

Poll Results: Poll Results

The Election of 1952

General Dwight Eisenhower fought off Ohio Senator Robert Taft to gain the 1952 Republican nomination for president. Eisenhower, and his running mate, Richard Nixon, squared off against Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson. The Democrats had held the White House since 1933, and the Republicans contended that it was time for a change.

The following positions were compiled from official party platforms. Shortly after the site launched in 2000, we asked our users to vote on these positions. Below are the results from this poll.

McCarthyism

As Senator Joseph McCarthy conducted his crusade to purge communists from all branches of the U.S. government, politicians differed on how to best respond to him.Candidate/Party 1 -- Openly criticizes McCarthy's tactics as a threat to basic American freedoms.Candidate/Party 2 -- Feels that to openly criticize McCarthy would only give him more attention and alienate those voters who support him.

The Economy

The nation was enjoying relative prosperity in the years following World War II, but there was disagreement over which was the wisest economic course to follow. Some wanted to expand the economy by building upon the programs of the New Deal, while others favored a scale-back of government programs and tax cuts.Candidate/Party 1 -- Generally supports, and cites, the programs of the New Deal and the Fair Deal as contributing to the nation's prosperity.Candidate/Party 2 -- While not coming out against New Deal policies, feels that too many government programs hinder the economy. This candidate favors a tax cut and a reduction in federal spending.

Containing Communism Abroad

The war in Korea focused attention on the effectiveness of efforts being made to contain the international spread of communism.Candidate/Party 1 -- Is supportive of Truman's policy of containing Communism and agrees with his conduct of foreign policy.Candidate/Party 2 -- Feels that weaknesses within Truman's foreign policy allow for increased Communist aggression, and promises, if elected, to personally visit Korea in an effort to end the war.